Fresno County

The Fresno County Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) includes all of the unincorporated areas of the county and the incorporated cities of Clovis, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Fresno, Fowler, Huron, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Orange Cove, Parlier, Reedley, San Joaquin, Sanger, and Selma. The county is geographically central to the rest of the California Central Valley. As the Central Valley’s largest population center and the most productive agricultural area, the Fresno County RMDZ will stimulate the growth of start-up recycling-based businesses, and encourage existing recycling-based businesses to expand their operations into the county.

Incentives available in various parts of the zone include one-stop permitting assistance, waiver or reduction of development/permit fees, a database on land, buildings, markets, and feedstock, a micro revolving loan fund, and installment payment of fees.

The Fresno County RMDZ has targeted plastics, paper, glass, concrete, wood, and green waste for manufacturing development. We are also available and willing to add other recycling streams and feedstocks for manufacturing facilities interested in locating to Fresno County

Currently, there are two operating landfills and eight transfer stations in the Fresno RMDZ. Two interstate railroads, Union Pacific and the BNSF Railway, provide excellent freight transportation. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) operated by Genesee and Wyoming Inc. have available short line spur track that intersect with both railroads in Fresno. SJVR connects the cities of Firebaugh, Fowler, Huron, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Reedley, San Joaquin, Sanger and Selma with Fresno. In addition, passenger rail service is available with Amtrak San Joaquin’s service of 7 daily trains. Both the United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (FedEx) have hubs located in Fresno that allows all major population areas in California to be serviced with one-day delivery. Passenger and freight air service are available through the Fresno Yosemite International Airport located in Fresno. State Highway 99 and Interstate 5 are two major north-south road connections from Los Angeles to Sacramento and San Francisco. State Highway 41 is another major north-south road connection from the Central California Coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The Fresno County RMDZ works directly with the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Resources for the EDC can be found at: http://www.fresnoedc.com/ The cities of Fowler, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, and Selma have formed a joint powers authority, the Five Cities Economic Development Authority on the east side of Fresno County. The purpose of the authority is to work collaboratively and cooperatively to expand each city's local economy through job creation and economic development, incorporating essential agencies. By pooling these resources, there are more opportunities for development with a variety of industrial sites and land available.